Sunday, March 20, 2016

Africa, Always a Victim

Africa is perhaps the poorest continent in the world. Stereotypically, the image of Africa implanted on our minds is a wide stretch of land where wild animals and human beings, those wearing bear skins and bearing man-made arrows and piercers, live together. The temperature may be a little humid for urbanized people to take. Families living below international poverty level are the government’s main problem and perhaps, the number of people who are illiterate is beyond any other nation. After all, Africa is known to produce slaves who were treated as animals in the earlier times. This impression may have been a lasting one derived from the stories from our ancestors. Even the pope recognizes how other nations have been victimizing Africa.

In his visit in the continent in 2015, Pope Francis exclaimed, “Africa is a victim, Africa has always been exploited by other powers, African slaves were sold in America. There are powers that simply want to take Africa’s great riches – it is perhaps the world’s richest continent – but they do not think about helping countries to grow so that everyone can work. Africa is a martyr of exploitation…”

However, as times are changing and equality has been implemented, people are eventually accepting Africans, their potential and their capabilities. A large part of the continent has shown growth in urbanization in the last couple of years. According to reviews, one third of Africa’s population is currently living in urbanized areas. By 2020, experts expect this to grow to more than half of the citizens.

Africa, however, still continuously remains a victim to many other issues despite their potential for growth. One of these hindrances is the proliferation of drug counterfeits in the continent.

In a review released by World Health Organization (WHO), fraud drugs do not entirely affect all parts of the world, despite its global nature. It is estimated that fake medicines account to 50% in Sub Saharan Africa but only 1% in developed countries. Perhaps this is also the reason why assistance expected from other countries often fall on deaf ears. The Peterson Group also reports lack of awareness even among government bodies.

Headed by pharmaceutical experts from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia, a seminar on the basics of this illegal practice was conducted in Nigeria last January 12, 2015 but these awareness programs will lay moot and academic if international and national policies are still inadequate or nonexistent.